The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Campers
by Emily21a
Summary: What happens when Pepper Potts decides that it's time for the Avengers to get back together? They have a lot of fun, that's what! Includes Pepper and Loki. First in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest... series.


**The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Campers**

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the Avengers. If I did, this wouldn't be on Fanfiction. It would be in the movies. **

* * *

Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's secretary and girlfriend, stared pensively into her cup of coffee in the kitchen at Stark Tower. It had been three years since Loki had tried - and failed - to take over Earth, or Midgard as Thor called it. The Avengers had drifted apart after the brothers went back to Asgard, and Pepper thought it was time for them to get together again. A coworker's reunion of sorts.

There was a slight problem, though. Okay, not so slight. Thor lived in a different world. The Bifrost had been fixed, but people on Midgard had no communication with the home of the gods. Therefore getting the news to the god of thunder wouldn't be as easy as the others. All she had to do was call them.

Pepper looked up at Tony, who was tinkering with part of a new suit. He had been so engrossed with it lately that he didn't have time for much else. That was another good reason to get the other Avengers. Something to keep his mind off of his technology for a while.

Tony eventually looked up. When he saw the look Pepper was giving him, he beamed at her. She always regarded him with an expression like it when she wanted attention and wasn't getting any.

"What's up, babe?" He asked, dropping his screwdriver on the counter beside the part of the suit he was working with. "What can I do for ya?"

Pepper took a deep breath. This was it. She had his attention. It was now or never. She sprang for the now.

"Tony, I think you and the others should spend more time together."  
Tony chuckled. "You're gonna have to be more specific."

Pepper rolled her eyes. She knew that the man knew perfectly well who 'the others' were. He was just being difficult.

"Don't be that way, Tony. I know you're lonely, and I can't be here all the time. You know I go see my mom more often now that Dad's passed away."

Tony nodded and gestured toward the tech on the counter before them.

"I've got my stuff."

Pepper frowned, letting an exasperated sigh slip from her lips. She sounded slightly annoyed as she said, "That's another thing, Tony. You've always got your nose stuck in something that beeps, whirs or lights up."

Tony laughed. His eyes sparkled a bit as he replied, "Pepper, honey! That's like telling a kid not to play with his toys. It's practically telling a genius to stop working on new things." Here he paused and looked at the ceiling, his index finger raised in thought. "Actually, it's exactly like that."

Pepper couldn't stop herself from smiling. She took a sip of coffee. "I guess it is. But I know my genius will do this. If not for himself, for me." She batted her eyelashes and smiled sweetly.

Tony looked as if he might have agreed, but instead said, "Nope. Not gonna happen. Last time we were all together in one place it was really awkward."

A smile stretched across Pepper's face at that. Tony's words were true.

Last the Avengers were together they had been celebrating Clint's birthday. It was fun at first, with music, food, and the general camaraderie of the group of heroes.

Then Clint and Natasha were called in to S.H.I.E.L.D on a mission. Everything had then proceeded to get weird. Real quick. The party was cleaned up, the presents sent to Clint's apartment at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters and everyone had gone home. As is the life of a superhero working for Fury.

* * *

Two hours later, Pepper walked out of the kitchen and into her personal study which Tony had so thoughtfully provided for her when Stark Tower had first been built. A smile graced her lips as she stood in front of her calendar with her phone pulled out. She went though her list of contacts and selected the number she was looking for.

"Hello? Phil? I'm doing well. Great, actually. Couldn't be better at the moment. I need Barton and Romanoff. When will they be free for about a week?"

* * *

About a week later, Thor received the news. He was to go back down to Midgard. This time for something relaxing. Heimdall had sent for the prince and informed him that his mortal friends wished to gather together all of the Avengers.

He was doubtlessly happy to hear of this, and was in high spirits for a while. None of his family or friends remembered ever seeing him this excited about anything. Then they remembered that he would likely see Jane Foster, his Midgardian girlfriend, again.

Four days after he was told about the meeting on Midgard, Thor burst into Loki's bedchambers. The younger man sat at a desk which was strewn with loose papers and leather-bound tomes.

"Brother!" Thor's voice boomed around the room. Loki rolled his eyes as the thunderer went on. "We have been invited to Midgard!"

Loki sighed and looked up. One of his eyebrows was raised. He said in an incredulous voice, "We? I think you mean 'you'. I find it impossible to believe that those pathetic mortal friends of yours would want me down on their precious Earth again." He spat out the word 'Earth' in disgust.

Thor was only upset for a second before his broad grin was once again plastered onto his bearded face. He held out his arms, gesturing exaggeratedly to Loki.

"I'm sure they will not mind!"

Loki only gave him the 'Oh really' face in reply.

"It is the perfect chance for you to make up with them! They would surely love to see how you truly are! How you are without your mind being controlled by those Chitauri!"

Loki grimaced. Yes, the Chitauri. All of his actions on Midgard came from the Chitauri. Barton, Selvig and the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents weren't the only ones with their minds being controlled during the invasion. No. Loki had been a victim just as they.

He allowed a small smile to slide onto his mouth. He then looked mildly curious as he asked, "When are we to go?"  
Thor's grin widened. He had him!

* * *

Six days later, all of the Avengers save Thor were gathered in a small park, waiting for the last member of their team to arrive. Pepper was with them, of course. She wasn't about to miss this, since she had set up and planned the whole thing. Not to mention buying all the supplies that were needed. She had gotten some funny looks when she stood in the Wal-Mart check-out line waiting for her turn.

Tony and Bruce were discussing something about science, Tony leaning against his car and Bruce standing in front of him with his arms crossed. Nobody else could understand what it was they were talking about. Clint was having a great time making fun of them, though. Particularly Tony. Natasha tried to stop him at first, but soon gave up and focused on hiding her laughter.

Steve stood beside Pepper quietly. He too had his arms crossed. He wore a thoughtful expression and stared off into the distance. He'd been quiet the whole time, keeping his thoughts to himself after the greetings. It was obvious that he was still having trouble getting used to his new life.

A wind blew through the clearing and everyone looked up. A soft thud was followed by an uneasy laugh and a muttered, "I'll never get used to that."

When the dust settled down, the group let out a collective gasp. Everyone was in their ready stances immediately. That meaning Pepper had ducked behind Steve. As for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, they were prepared for battle.

Tony spun the bracelet on his wrist and muttered, "Deploy."

Steve raised his fists to fight. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents pulled out guns, which to anyone watching would seem impossible for Natasha. She was wearing form-fitting jeans and a loose white top that went halfway down her thighs. White high heels were her footwear for that day. It was virtually impossible to hide a pistol in any part of her outfit, but she somehow did it. Bruce's fists were clenched at his sides as he stared at the newcomers.

In front of the group stood Thor and Loki. They both looked a little woozy. Apparently traveling on the Bifrost wasn't easy.

Loki was the first to recover and he stared at Thor with an impatient expression. Thor finally straightened up and grinned at the others before him.

"My friends!" He walked up to Bruce and asked, "Is something the matter, Doctor?

Tony's Iron Man armor had arrived - finally - and his voice was altered somewhat due to the mask. "Um, yeah. You brought Reindeer Games along for the ride. I'm pretty sure no one said you could."

Thor's grin disappeared and was replaced with a frown. He was about to answer when Loki came up behind him and said quietly. "No, Thor. It's fine. I have things to take care of in Asgard, anyway."

Thor turned to his brother and said something in a language none of the others present could understand. Loki replied in the same dialect. Their conversation went on for almost three minutes before Thor turned back to the group.

The god of thunder cleared his throat and said, "Loki has promised not to use his magic for anything destructive. That includes tricks."

Tony snorted. "Oh, yeah. Like I'm going to take his word on anything. In case you forgot, he kinda tried to take over my world a few years back."

Clint nodded and added angrily, "He tore out my mind and shoved something else in."

Thor frowned and looked sad. "I know my brother may have done these things. And they were wrong. But as unbelievable as it may sound, Loki was under the influence of the Tesseract. Just as Barton was."

Bruce's hands went loose and his expression became softer. He looked around to Natasha. She too looked as if she wanted to believe what Thor was saying. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod and turned to Steve. His eyebrows were furrowed in thought. Finally he spoke up.

"I'm willing to give him a chance as long as Thor agrees to take him back if he causes trouble." He looked pointedly at Thor.

Thor nodded. "You have my word, friends."

Natasha lowered her gun and slipped it into her purse.

"Those things must be bigger on the inside than the on the outside," Clint thought to himself as he put his own pistol away. If Tasha thought it was safe, he was willing to give the guy a second chance. If what Thor said was true, he and Loki had something in common.

Steve relaxed visibly. Then he looked at Pepper, who was still standing behind him. She nodded and said, "I think he deserves another try."

Bruce turned back to Thor. He gave the god a small smile and said, "It's settled, then."

Thor's face lit up with joy. Even Loki looked happy for a moment. That changed immediately when Tony spoke up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA! I never said this was cool with me. Nobody asked my opinion. "

All heads turned to Tony. He didn't really look offended. Not at all. But it was usual for the billionaire to want the attention.

Pepper put her hands on her hips. She was clearly not happy with how he was acting. Her tone was one of extreme annoyance.

"Really, Tony? You're outnumbered."

The others nodded their agreement. Tony looked like he was about to protest again, but closed his mouth at the withering look Pepper gave him.

He sighed, "Fine. Let the megalomaniacal villain come along on our camping trip."

Seemingly everyone rolled their eyes. Except for Clint. His eyes widened and he looked like a kid on Christmas.

"We're going camping? Awesome!"

When everybody stared at him with dumbfounded expressions, he went on sheepishly, "I've never actually gone camping."

There were a few slow, uncertain nods. Then everyone silently decided that the awkward moment hadn't happened.

* * *

Two days later, all the Avengers - plus Pepper and Loki - were crammed into a bus. Why Tony had a bus would remain a mystery. Most likely forever. Because he himself didn't even remember buying one.

They were arranged so that everyone could see Loki if he tried to pull any stunts. He sat in a window seat making faces and laughing when he saw the frightened looks on other people's faces when they recognized him. Nobody saw any real harm in this, so they let him.

Pepper was driving and Natasha sat in the passenger's seat. The two of them were talking about girl stuff, so the men ignored them. None of them cared about nails, hair or anything else the women were going on about.

Tony and Bruce were talking about the science of camping. Why people of all ages liked it. What made sleeping in a dirty tent with bugs crawling over you and no electricity so fun? The answer to that question is in the question itself. You get to sleep in a dirty tent with bugs crawling over you.

Thor listened to the scientists' chatter, but didn't add anything. He was enjoying himself by simply listening to them. Neither even seemed to notice.

Steve sat silently, staring out the window. He counted the number of motorcycles that went by. 1...2...3...4... A group of cyclists rode past and his count shot up to twelve.

Clint fidgeted in his seat. He couldn't wait to get there. He didn't know how many times he had already asked if they were almost at the campsite. It seemed to the archer that they couldn't arrive soon enough.

After about an hour and a half, Pepper pulled into the campsite. Clint was the first to tumble out of the bus. No surprise there. Nobody that anxious can stay in a parked vehicle, no matter how old they are.

Natasha smiled and walked over to where Clint had been sitting. She reached up and pulled his bags down from the overhead compartment. Her own were with his.

She then proceeded to carry Clint's bag of clothes, duffel bag and bow - in its case - along with her own things out of the bus.

Everyone else quickly followed the S.H.I.E.L.D agent's example by pulling out their baggage and heading out to the campsite.

Pepper was the last to climb out of the vehicle. She wasn't going to be staying with the Avengers and their villain. This was their time to bond and she felt she would be in the way. Now it was time for her to say her goodbyes.

She hugged everyone who was comfortable with it. This included Natasha. Thor, Bruce, and of course Tony. The latter also received a peck on the cheek. Steve shook her hand, thanked her for the ride and told her to drive safely. Loki nodded to her as his farewell. She didn't really know what to do about that, so she smiled at him in return.

Clint absently said, "Bye." He was too preoccupied with staring wide-eyed at everything around him.

Pepper smiled at him and began to climb back into the bus, but Tony stopped her.

"Hey, Pep!"

She turned to face the speaker, a small smile on her lips. "Yes?"  
Tony brought his hands together in a single clap followed by two simultaneous snaps of his fingers. "Why don't you stay here with us?" He jerked his thumb backward, gesturing to the others.

Pepper instantly frowned a bit. She put her hands on her hips and said matter-of-factly, "Well, somebody's gotta take care of Stark Industries while you're on vacation."

Tony grinned stupidly. "JARVIS can take care of things while we're away."

Pepper smiled at that and said, "I suppose I could stay. I'll have to go get my stuff, though."

Tony grinned again and pulled her into a hug. "You're the best friend ever!"

Bruce faked like he was hurt and Natasha elbowed him in the ribs.

* * *

After Pepper left, the Avengers and Loki went in to pay for their campsite. Steve held the door open for everyone to go through. Natasha went first and smiled as she passed Steve. Loki went through after her with Thor right behind him. Clint and Tony tried to go at the same time. This led to a small fight, which was solved by a game of rock, paper, scissors. Clint won and stuck his tongue out at Tony, walking through the doorway. The billionaire went after him, pouting. Steve rolled his eyes at the two.

In the lobby, the lady at the check-out counter stared at the group, her mouth open. She had her hand floating over some paper, a pen in her fingers. It looked like someone had come in and paused the woman.

Tony pushed to the front and slid a card across the top of the counter, saying, "Yes, we're the Avengers. Don't stare too long at Cap; he'll get self-conscious. Or Loki. He might kill you. We'd like to rent your biggest site for a week."

The woman looked like she was about to faint. She nodded slowly and scanned Tony's card. Her eyes went wide when she saw his account I.D. on the computer screen.

Thor directed his big smile her way and said, "The Man of Iron has sufficient funds, does he not?"

The woman only nodded and handed Tony his card. She finished signing them in and finally spoke. "Have a nice stay." With that, she stood from her seat and went into a back room.

On the way out, Clint looked like he was about to blow his head off. His face was turning red from his contained laughter. Eventually he couldn't take it anymore and burst into a fit of giggles. He wheezed out, "Did you see her face?"  
Natasha fell into step beside Tony. She whispered, "I feel kinda bad for her."

Tony waved it away. "Nah, don't worry about it. She'll get over it."

Loki was smiling. He looked up at Thor and asked, "That woman was not expecting to see you today, was she?"  
Thor's own grin widened. "Nay, brother! And I don't think she will soon forget!"

* * *

When they got to their chosen campsite, which was indeed very large, Clint was still chuckling. Everybody else had already gotten over it. Loki still had a smirk on his lips. But he was always a bit too happy about others' distress.

They set up three tents. One for the girls, one for the Asgardians, and one for the remaining boys. For some reason Loki had abhorred the thought of staying with the Avengers, and Thor wouldn't let his brother sleep alone. They stopped questioning when Loki shot Clint a deadly look.

Pepper showed up as they were finishing up the last tent. Tony and Bruce were arguing as they hammered in the tent pegs.

"Get it still!"  
"I'm trying!" A couple seconds later, "OW!"

The last exclamation came from Tony, as Bruce hit the genius's finger.

"Sorry."

Tony pulled his hand up to his mouth and promptly popped his injured finger in. He cast a reproachful look in Bruce's direction. The doctor only shrugged.

Natasha emerged from the girls' tent and walked over to Pepper, her arms outstretched. Pepper hugged her, smiling.

"I was only gone for an hour."

Natasha groaned. "Try being the only girl in a group. They couldn't even put the tents up without my help. Bruce was the only person being helpful. At least Loki was quiet."

Pepper gave her a sympathetic look before asking, "Which tent am I staying in?"  
Natasha pointed to their tent. She held the flaps open for Pepper to put her things in. Then she followed her in. The boys could hear them talking as they set up their beds.

* * *

Almost half an hour later, the tents were finally all set up, inside and out. There were only a couple hours until dark, so they decided to start their camping trip with scary stories.

The group ate around the fire - not hot dogs, though; those were for another night - and crowded into the biggest tent. This was the one that Steve, Tony, Bruce and Clint were sharing.

They sat in a circle to make story telling easier. Going clockwise, they sat in this order: Natasha, Clint, Steve, Thor, Loki, Bruce, Tony and Pepper. They voted on who would tell the first story and Tony got the most votes. The only person who didn't vote for him was himself.

After Tony came Clint. Then Steve. Last was Bruce. By the end of his story, Loki's eyes were closed and he was leaning against Thor, breathing slowly.

Pepper smiled slightly at him and announced that she couldn't possibly stay up for another story. Natasha looked at her quizzically and she pointed to Loki discreetly. Natasha nodded then.

"I'm tired, too," she told the group.

Clint shot her a disbelieving glance. She told him something in Russian and his eyes showed understanding. Soon everyone but Thor was pretending to be tired.

Steve pulled a giant, obviously fake yawn and Thor finally got it. He turned to his brother and noticed for the first time his condition.

Thor stood, lifting Loki up with him. He held him bridal style. Thankfully, he stayed asleep. If the Jötun had woken up, he surely would have made Thor drop him from the thoroughly disgraceful position. It was likely that he would have thrown a diva tantrum, as well.

The thunderer carried his brother into their tent and settled him down into bed. Then he went back to the others and said goodnight to everyone. This consisted of hugs for everyone, whether they wanted one or not. Then he returned to his tent, changed into his nightclothes and soon fell asleep in his makeshift bed.

The other Avengers and Pepper said their goodnights, wished each other good dreams, and went off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Loki slipped out from under his blankets. He didn't remember going to bed, but he blamed that on his drowsiness the night before. He didn't recall being carried off to bed by his brother. That was good for the other campers.

The god of mischief snuck out of his and Thor's shared tent. He carried a hairbrush, bottle, and spare clothes. He headed out toward the camp showers, praying that no one was already there.

He was nearly past the last of their tents when he was stopped dead in his tracks.

"You too, huh?" It was Natasha.

Loki turned around to face her and was surprised by her appearance.

The Black Widow's makeup was smeared and streaked around her eyes. She wore a pink fuzzy looking robe and matching slippers. In her hand was a mug of what looked like hot tea. Loki wasn't looking at any of these things, though. He was staring at her hair.

The red curls stuck out at random angles. It was crazy. It was a mess. It was bed head to the max. And it was just like his own. Aside from the color, their hair matched perfectly.

Loki relaxed and gave Natasha a rare smile. She returned it and patted the seat next to her. Loki took the offered seat and Natasha poured him a mug of tea. He sipped it gratefully.

"I've never seen another person like this before. Ever. And I didn't expect it would be you." Natasha sounded truly amazed. Reaching up, she pulled at one of his raven curls and went on. "You always seem so...collected. No, that's not the word. I don't know. Posh. That's it."

Loki smiled at her. He didn't hold back anything. It might have been called cheeky had it not been the man who tried to take over the world a few years back.

"I have been called many things in my lifetime, Miss Romanoff. Posh is new."

Natasha laughed quietly. She dropped the lock of Loki's hair and said, "Just call me Natasha. Please."

Loki nodded and finished his tea. Then he stood, thanked her, and went to fix his hair.

* * *

When Loki came back to the camp, everyone else was up and eating. Or rather, everyone was up with food set in front of them as they watched Thor eat. Loki noted that Natasha wasn't present, and surprised himself by being a little disappointed.

Tony looked up at him and grinned. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Loki raised an eyebrow in question. He appeared calm, but his heart was racing. Did they know about his hair? Did Natasha tell?

He looked around, his eyes settling on each of those present.

Clint was looking back at him, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Nothing unusual there. Steve's expression was passive. Not really amused, but not sad or any other emotion, to be honest. A blank page, not showing anything. But the soldier wasn't hiding his feelings. He just didn't have any strong opinion on the matter. This confused Loki, so he moved on to the next person.

Bruce only gave him a smile, telling him nothing. Pepper smiled, too. Hers had a hint of sympathy. Not overwhelming, though. The smile reached her eyes, showing that she was amused. Thor apparently either hadn't heard Tony's greeting or didn't care, as he was still eating. Loki skipped over his brother and his sight fell on Tony.

The idiot was sitting there, a big, Thor-like grin on his face. His brown eyes sparkled, daring Loki to react. So he defied him.

Loki sat down on the bench and said curtly, "Good morning, Stark."

Tony looked a little put down. Then he got an idea. He grinned again.

"I bet your wife loves that."

Loki carefully kept his face blank, like Steve, and ignored Stark's words.

Tony wanted some sort of response, though, and went on, "Snuggling, I mean."

Loki's head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

Ah, there it was. The reaction Tony needed.

"Yep. Snuggling. You fell asleep on us. Actually, just on Thor."

Loki's cheeks and ears turned pink. "I think I would remember that, Stark."

Tony's grin widened. "Apparently you do. You wouldn't be acting this way if you didn't."

Loki frowned. "I quite honestly have no notion whatsoever as to what you are going on about."

"Yes you do."

"No."

Tony was about to say something else when Steve broke in. "Come on, Tony. We all need sleep. And it can't be easy when you've constantly got people wary of you staring you down all the time."

Tony wasn't fazed in the slightest. He protested, "But it's so fun to pick on this guy. Look at his face!" He gestured with his hands toward Loki.

Steve's face morphed into a frown. "It's not funny. I thought we agreed to be nice and give him another chance."

Tony lowered his eyes and muttered something about a 'goody two-shoes'.

* * *

About two hours later, the group was walking along a forest trail. They hadn't been able to make up their minds about what to do that day, and decided to pull out the site map. Without looking, one of the team members pointed to a random spot on the map. It was Bruce's turn that day, and his finger had landed in the middle of the trail.

So that's where they were. Or at least where they were headed. Where they'd been headed for at least an hour. Definitely more. And some people were getting tired. Some people meant Clint.

"Anybody else here exceptionally bored?" Pepper rolled her eyes at the billionaire's words, but Clint nodded.

"I've walked long ways before, and I like the forest, but this is lame." The archer sounded extremely tired of their predicament. "Can't we do something fun for the rest of the day?"

Natasha elbowed him and said irritably, "Clint, please? We're almost out. I think."

Bruce frowned and looked down at the map he held in his hands. He spoke slowly, "No, I think we're pretty far from either end."

Tony looked over the scientist's shoulder. "Where are we?"

Bruce hesitated before pointing at a spot on the trail. "Either here," he moved his finger to another place. "Or here."

Tony crossed his arms. "So you don't know where we are?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Bruce frowned again. He answered reluctantly, "No."

A collective groan sounded from the group. Clint was the only one who put his unhappiness into words, though.

"Really?"

* * *

Nearly four hours later, the Avengers finally found their campsite. They were all sporting some kind of injury. Except for Thor and Loki. But they were from another realm, so that didn't really count.

Clint groaned and sat on a bench, taking the weight off of his ankle, which he had twisted in an invisible hole that no-one else stepped in. He just knew that Mother Nature decided to create it just for him. It was a bad present.

Tony sat beside the archer, moaning like he was on his death bed. And he definitely wasn't. If anything, he was the best off. He only had a few bug bites and one scratch. A single scratch, and he was acting like someone had chopped off a limb.

Natasha had a spider bite on her neck, and she wasn't making half as much of a fuss as Tony. She plopped down beside the billionaire and rubbed the bite. It was pink and sore, but she hadn't complained once. Not even when it first happened. She had scowled and killed the spider instead of whining.

Loki whispered something to Thor and he latter smiled. He nodded and gave his younger brother a little push. He looked way too excited.

Loki cleared his throat and all heads turned in his direction. Everyone's eyes held varying degrees of pain.

"What?" Tony snapped. It came out more like 'wat' than 'wut'. He sounded remarkably like a duck.

Loki raised his eyebrows and answered, sounding as if he thought he was being very generous, "I am going to help you all."

Thor nodded fervently, but the others looked a little doubtful. For a while there was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Clint spoke up.

"Well, you comin' or not?"

A grin spread across Loki's face and he walked over to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Tony's mouth dropped open when the trickster knelt down beside Clint and took his ankle in his hands. Loki murmured something under his breath and Clint let out a soft, "Ooh..."

His ankle was no longer swollen and painful. A miracle.

Loki looked up at Clint, a hopeful look in his eyes. "Better?"  
Clint nodded. "Yep. Thanks."

Loki grinned again and moved over to Natasha. He placed a cool hand over the spider bite and she sighed in relief. It had obviously been hurting more than she had let on. Loki's grin widened as he moved to Bruce.

"I'll be fine," Bruce immediately lied. Well, it wasn't really a lie, but it was evident that a little healing couldn't hurt.

Loki shook his head and turned the scientist's hands over. His palms were littered with little scratches and scuffs from where he tripped over root after root and caught himself with his hands. Loki frowned and once again muttered. The scrapes instantly disappeared and Bruce smiled.

"Thanks."

Loki nodded, giving him a wide, toothy grin. It was a bit creepy, but Thor didn't seem to think that there was any sort of threat.

Loki moved from person to person after that, healing scratches, scrapes, bruises, and the like. Soon only Tony was left. Loki looked over his 'injuries' and snorted. He turned and walked back over to Thor.

"Hey, Reindeer Games, what about me?"  
Loki let out a single light laugh. He waved his hand and said, "Oh, you're fine."

Tony stared after him as he walked back into the tent that the two gods shared. He shook his head and said, "Wow. I'm the only one who doesn't get any healing."

Natasha and Clint punched Tony's shoulders simultaneously and exploded with laughter when he let out a wail of protest.

* * *

The next day, they went fishing. Or rather, they tried to go fishing. And just for the record, Natasha didn't pick it.

They were just getting out onto the water when Clint leaned over and whispered to Natasha, "I've got to go."  
Natasha groaned. "Really?"  
Clint gave her an evil grin. "No."

"Not funny, Clinton," Natasha practically growled.

Clint grinned again. "Yes it is."

Bruce stepped between them. "Whoa, guys."

Tony smiled. "Yeah, guys. Stop acting like babies."

Loki let out a short laugh-exactly like before. "I don't recall you being any better, _Anthony_. One would have thought you had a fatal wound and not a single scratch."

Tony stuck out his bottom lip. "It hurt."

Loki very nearly snorted. It wasn't far from it, though. Whatever it was, it didn't sound very sophisticated.

* * *

A little over half an hour later, the group was actually fishing. It was relatively quiet. Their conversations had dropped in volume as soon as the first line - Natasha's - was cast.

Bruce stood beside Thor, trying to teach him how to cast. This was proving to be a difficult task, as the god kept getting his hook stuck in his clothes. This was more than Loki.

Thor's brother sat cross-legged on the tackle box, watching with mild interest as the larger man removed the hook from his shirt for what felt like the thousandth time.

Clint walked over to the tackle box and said to Loki, "Time to move."

Loki raised an eyebrow and Clint made a shooing motion with his hands. Loki shook his head, crooning, "Say please."

Clint propped his pole against the side of the boat and before Loki could do more than widen his eyes, shoved the dark haired man into the lake.

Thor rushed over, his fishing lesson forgotten. He reached down and pulled Loki back into the boat with a single arm. "Brother, are you alright?"  
Loki nodded. He still had his eyes locked on Clint.

Thor nodded and turned to Clint. His face was full of anger. "Do not do that again. You risk his life, archer."

Clint looked mildly confused. "What, you mean he can't swim?"

Thor shook his head. "No, he cannot."

Clint looked over at Loki. He was shivering and seething. He looked remarkably like a drowned cat. Clint started laughing, which made everyone else look. They all began laughing as well. Soon even Loki was laughing at himself.

* * *

About two hours later, the group was just heading back to shore. Tony was piloting the boat while talking with Pepper. Everyone else was stationed behind him, joking around.

Loki looked away from Thor as he told one of his battle tales. His eyes landed on Clint, who was leaning against the edge of the boat, and a mischievous grin crawled across his thin lips.

He stood and walked over to Clint. The latter didn't even notice him. He placed a single hand on the archer's chest and pushed.

Now, normally, this would only set him off balance, but Loki was much stronger than the average man. Stronger, even than a strong human man. That's why the single push made Clint fall right over the side of the boat.

He went down with a splash and a, "Whoa!"

He came up spluttering. Thankfully the boat wasn't moving very quickly, so he was able to swim back to it easily. He crawled back into it, laughing quietly to himself.

Loki smiled and handed him a towel. Clint took it and dried off his face. Then he tossed it aside again and regarded Loki. "Nice."

* * *

Four days later, the group was, sadly, packing up. The week had flown by quickly and everyone was upset that it was over.

"Hey, Tasha? Do you have my shirt?"

"Yep. Right here."

"Thanks."

Natasha threw Clint's shirt at him. It was the one that he had been wearing when Loki had pushed him into the lake and it still smelled like fish.

He shoved it into his bag designated for his clothes, which was already almost full. Then he had everything packed and ready.

He carried his stuff onto the bus and crammed it into the overhead storage along with Natasha's. They both packed light, so there was enough space for all of their things.

After making sure the luggage wouldn't fall out, he climbed out of the bus to help take down the tents. He crossed over to Steve and asked, "You ready to tackle those things?"

Loki walked by them, eating a turkey and Swiss sandwich. He flicked his hand and all the tents were down and in their bags, the stakes in neat little piles beside each bag.

Clint stared. It was like something from Harry Potter.

Tony stomped up to Loki and demanded, "Why didn't you just magic them up?"

Loki shrugged and swallowed his bite before answering, "No one asked."

Steve smiled and asked, "Can you put them in the bus?"

Loki nodded and with another flick of his wrist, the bags and stakes danced into the bus.

Clint grinned. "Cool."

Thor and Loki were the first to leave. They exchanged goodbyes; Hugs from Pepper and Natasha and handshakes from the rest. But, whether they wanted one or not, everyone got a hug from Thor.

Thor looked up and called, "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!"

Dust and leaves whirled around them and then the brothers were gone.

Everyone trudged back to the bus. Everyone that is, except for Natasha. She had noticed something fall as Thor and Loki were sucked into oblivion.

She walked over and found that it was the bottle that the younger prince had been carrying on his way to the showers. She smiled to herself as she slipped it into her purse. He was going to need that.

* * *

**A/N: All reviewers get awesome Thor hugs or cookies. Whichever you prefer. ;)**


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